Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday responded to the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) decision imposing additional provisional measures on Israel following a request by South Africa, as part of its genocide case against the Jewish state.
The ICJ earlier ordered Israel to allow unlimited aid into Gaza, writing that, in conformity with its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, shall "take all necessary and effective measures to ensure, without delay, in full co-operation with the United Nations, the unhindered provision at scale by all concerned of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance, including food, water, electricity, fuel, shelter, clothing, hygiene and sanitation requirements, as well as medical supplies and medical care to Palestinians throughout Gaza, including by increasing the capacity and number of land crossing points and maintaining them open for as long as necessary."
In a statement responding to the order, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat said, “South Africa has failed yet again in its cynical attempts to exploit the ICJ in order to undermine Israel's inherent right and obligation to defend its citizens from the ongoing Hamas attacks and to secure the release of hostages still held in Gaza in brutal captivity.”
“As has been repeatedly affirmed, Israel is committed to international law, including with respect to allowing and facilitating the transfer of essential humanitarian aid to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. Israel places no limitations on the amount of essential humanitarian aid that enters the Gaza Strip, including in particular food, water, shelter equipment and medicines. It wishes no harm to the civilian population,” he added.
“Israel will continue to promote new initiatives, and to expand existing ones, in order to enable and facilitate the flow of aid to the Gaza Strip in a continuous and extensive manner, by land, air, and sea, together with UN bodies and other partners in the international community. This includes ongoing efforts to increase the scale, and means of access for such aid despite the operational challenges on the ground and Hamas׳s active and abhorrent efforts to commandeer, hoard, and steal aid.”
“The Hamas terrorist organization is to blame for the situation in the Gaza Strip and is responsible for the war. It is Hamas that launched an unprecedented terrorist attack on the State of Israel and its citizens while committing atrocities, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, including rape, mutilation, and torture. For the past 172 days Hamas has held the women, men and children it kidnapped from Israel as hostages in unspeakable conditions. Israel goes to great lengths in order to mitigate the harm to the civilian population while fighting Hamas, in the complicated circumstances that Hamas created,” said Haiat.
“To this day, Hamas terrorists continue to attack the citizens of Israel and are using the civilian population of Gaza as human shields. Hamas displays utter disdain for international law and the lives of civilians, Israelis and Palestinians alike, and deliberately harms the humanitarian efforts aimed at helping the population of Gaza.”
“Israel is committed to meeting its legal obligations, including with respect to humanitarian assistance, and will continue to exercise its right and duty to defend its citizens, with the aim of removing the terrorist threat of Hamas and returning all the hostages to their homes and families, and ensuring a future free of Hamas terrorism for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” the statement concluded.
The ICJ in its ruling on Thursday also ordered Israel to submit a report to the court on all measures taken to give effect to its ruling, within one month from the date of its issue.
The order was handed down three weeks after South Africa petitioned the ICJ to impose new emergency measures on Israel over what it described as the "widespread starvation" resulting from its offensive in Gaza.
South Africa said it was "compelled to return to the Court in light of the new facts and changes in the situation in Gaza, particularly the situation of widespread starvation" during the offensive.
In December, South Africa filed a lawsuit against Israel in which it accused the Jewish state of carrying out genocide in Gaza.
On January 26, the ICJ handed down a ruling in South Africa’s case, saying that Israel must do everything to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza and take "immediate" measures for aid provisions. It did not, however, order Israel to stop the war in Gaza.
Previously, the court rejected South Africa’s request that it take urgent measures to prevent Israel from operating in the Gazan city of Rafah.